Lavabit's Ladar Levison: 'If You Knew What I Know About Email, You Might Not Use It'

Forbes ^ | August 9, 2013 | Kashmir Hill

[Mannaggia l'America]

Encrypted mail servers don't work that way.

Yeah, I know - that's what this guy's company offers.

I have not done any Linux email server admin in a while, but using out-of-the-box sendmail, it is not encrypted. Of course you can encrypt your emails prior to sending them and then they are not readable.

[JRandomFreeper]

Good encryped mail packages retrain encryption throughout. Toy packages may not. I'm also a linux sysadmin.

/johnny

[Mannaggia l'America]

The contents can be encrypted using common algorithms; methods no ordinary admin can crack.

Yes, I did know that. Pretty sure most people don't use an email client that does that though.

[JRandomFreeper]

Out-of-the-box sendmail should come with a HOWTO on acquiring horse tranquilizers. I hate sendmail. ;)

/johnny

[Errant]

This ability provides the ones who have access to it, to use the information for enormous profits only dreamt of by insider traders, to coerce those with political clout for protection, and finally/eventually as a tool to stop any ideas the people may have to put a stop it.

They will never willing give up this kind of power...

The only real option is to develop a technology that gets around it - encrypted, distributed, P2P systems for ALL communications.

[phockthis]

sfl

[zeestephen]

Re: “Typically, these secret orders, from the secret courts, stipulate jail time for service providers that speak out about the contents of the secret orders.”

If they break the secret orders, they are sent to secret prisons.

In secret locations, with secret guards.

And the secret judges and secret administrators are protected by secret immunity.

I can’t tell you how I know all these secret things, because that’s a secret.

[JRandomFreeper]

EFF is among many fighting this crap so that it doesn't get that stupid.

/johnny

[steve86]

So was I a Linux sysadmin but this is an application issue with next to nothing to do with the OS (except the part about sendmail).

[JRandomFreeper]

That's why I said packages.

/johnny

[zeestephen]

EFF?

[21twelve]

They don’t call it “double secret probation” for nothin’.

[Jim Robinson]

Totally unconstitutional.

[2nd amendment mama]

Bookmark for later!

[JRandomFreeper]

Electronic Frontier Foundation. They have been around for a while. I've supported them when I can. They support digital freedoms in the real world, going back to the Philip Zimmerman encryption case from the federal government.

I actually do have the t-shirt on that one. I bought the t-shirt to help pay for the lawyers.

/johnny

[JRandomFreeper]

Totally unconstitutional.

So are a lot of things, but the government is getting away with it.

/johnny

[TangoLimaSierra]

Hmmmm, where is Tim Robbins and Susan Sarandon now?

I believe they're at the White Hut with Alec Baldwin and Babs Streisand playing human centipede with obammy.

[null and void]

I know them because I have worked with escapees from the old Soviet Union.

[null and void]

Yep, and not even I will ask if they are forcing you to do this.

[OneWingedShark]

Totally unconstitutional.

This is true; however I believe that the word unconstitutional has lost punch since it's thrown about way too often.
I prefer 'contraconstitutional' which better describes actions directly contrary to the Constitution.